It's interesting how often dark clouds are layered with light ones. Do we tend to focus on the dark or the light? I've been working on focusing on the light in my life. Sometimes the the contrast makes the light too much to look at straight on. Sometimes it's the two together that creates the beauty.
Pocket Full of Sunshine
"The sun is on my side
Take me for a ride
I smile up to the sky
I know I'll be alright"
"I got pocket,
Got a pocket full of sunshine
I've got a love and I know that it's all mine"
I wanted a warm light coming in. It turned into a very sunshiny light - the kind of light that can take you for a ride up into the sky...
Never Give Up
Warmth
This is the first painting in a series I am going to do on the concept of Comfort. To me, comfort is warm. When I think of warm comfort I think of standing outside with my face to the sun. Today it's raining outside. I can hear the drops pelting the skylight in my studio and it reminds me of some of the old farm buildings when I was child. The sound makes me feel cold even though the temperature inside is very comfortable. And yet, I can look at her and see her embracing the light and warmth of the sun and suddenly I feel warm again. Many people have a "happy place" in their mind that they can go to when life gets stressful, and it can help them calm down. While this isn't really a place, it is an image that can bring a sense of warmth and comfort when life gets hard.
Squaring Her Shoulder
We square our shoulders when we are determined. Squaring one's shoulders shows a lack of fear. Perhaps she isn't squaring her shoulders for either of these reasons. Perhaps she squaring her shoulders simply to open them up to the light that is before her. Soaking in the warmth of comfort fully, she accepts the light without reservation, with faith, with hope, with acceptance and love. When someone offers us comfort, are we able to accept it this openly? Or do we resist just enough to keep ourselves emotionally safe? Do we secretly fear the very offer of comfort we so desperately seek?
Profile
A profile is a view of something from only one side. Today my subject got a profile. She has her face to the light and is soaking up the warmth of the sun. But there's more to her than just this one side. And yet, that's all we'll get to see.
How often do we see only one side of a person? How often do we create a profile in our minds of what a person is? I'm working on getting to know people more fully and accepting them as a whole person rather than just certain aspects of them. This isn't always possible. So I try to remember that everyone is a whole person whether I can see all of them or not. I guess this has become important to me because I want others to see me in the same way.
Canvas Covered
I took yesterday's charcoal drawing and am making it into a painting. I chose a 16" x 20" canvas this time. I've been working on 8" x 10" canvas boards for paintings that are more for exercise and whim. But I want to turn this into a series of paintings focusing on the idea of comfort. Today I got the canvas covered with an underpainting. I left all of the edges soft so that I can make adjustments as I go along. Things will change, but I have a starting place. My heart is speaking to me in this one. I'm excited.
Heavenly Chair
Heavenly Chair was a request from my dear husband. It is his anniversary gift. He loves his banjo and on this particular trip to see his mother he took it and played for her, and for the deer who gather on her lawn. He set the banjo down and realized how lovely it looked it in the morning light. I love that he has an eye for beauty, composition, and design. Happy Anniversary Love!
Beach Cherub
Well, here she is at last... my hot babe on the beach... my bathing beauty... my cute little beach cherub. I do love children. To me they represent innocence, hope, potential, purity, meekness, and joy. I love to hold a child's hand, play with a child's feet, and answer every single "why" they can come up with. Painting them, apparently, is no different. I have thoroughly enjoyed every child I've painted. I may have to stick to this genre...
Lights and Darks
When starting a face I first try to find the areas of highlight (lights) and shadow (darks) that define the plane changes on the face. It's tempting to go into great detail on one facial feature, like an eye, but it's better in the end to make sure all the general areas are correct first. I've made the mistake before of perfecting an eye and then realizing I painted it too high or too low or too far to the right or left and having to repaint it. Lesson learned...
Patriotic Reflections
I didn't quite get it posted for the 4th, but I'm personally grateful for my freedoms every day. And I can testify that without free mind there is no real freedom.
Morning Light
I was out running a morning errand and the light was so incredibly beautiful I had to pull over and take some pics. I am so blessed to live in such a beautiful place. And there is simply nothing like morning light on the beauties of the earth...
Rhododendron
Well, my little Rhodie didn't get finished in a day... but I think she's coming along nicely just the same. This has been a great exercises in both hard and soft lines, as well as lights and shadows. I can see that I need to follow my own rule and stop being afraid of the dark! I think as I deepen the shadow areas it will really bring a greater sense of depth to the flower.
Goblet and Shells
Well, I forgot to photograph the initial sketch again. I just get too excited to start paining! I've enjoyed this short series of goblet paintings. It's been fun to search around the studio and find things to match up with the goblet. It's also been fascinating to see the similarities and differences in the reflections in the goblet as I pair it with different colored objects, as the light changes each day, and as I play with different background colors. It's been a great study in painting glass and playing with light.
